Josefina Coderch (1934) - Perfil entre flores

Pictura Subastas presents this magnificent artwork by Josefina Coderch, depicting an elegant woman in profile, adorned with flowers and a delicate lace neck, portrayed on a singular oval support that resembles a painter’s palette. The painting stands out for its excellent technique and the high pictorial quality it transmits.

· Frame dimensions: 51x57x3 cm.
· Artwork dimensions: 24x30 cm.
· Oil on panel, hand-signed by the artist in the lower left corner, J. Coderch.
· The piece is in good conservation condition.
· The work is sold with a precious frame (included in the auction as a gift).

The work comes from an exclusive private collection in Girona.

Important note: the photographs included are an integral part of the lot description.

The painting will be professionally packed by an IVEX expert (https://www.instagram.com/ivex.online/), using high-quality materials to ensure protection. The shipping price covers both the cost of professional packing and the transportation itself.
Shipping will be carried out by Correos, GLS or NACEX with tracking. International shipping available.

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This painting presents the elegant portrait of a woman seen in profile, represented on a singular oval support whose shape clearly recalls a painter’s palette. The subject gazes serenely to the left, oblivious to the viewer, while her pale face emerges against a dark background, a delicate lace collar and abundant floral ornamentation. The distinctive silhouette reinforces its intimate and ornamental character, making the figure seem contained within a medallion or an object directly tied to the artist’s universe.

The oval format plays an essential role in the composition. Its curved ends gently envelop the portrait and focus all attention on the woman, avoiding the rigidity typical of rectangular boundaries. This shape can be associated with both old salon portraits and a painter’s palette transformed into an artistic support. The work thus gains a double dimension: it can be viewed as a highly elegant female image and also as a singular artistic object, symbolically linked to the act of creation.

The protagonist occupies almost the entire central surface. Her head is slightly elevated and turned to the left, displaying a clean, refined profile. The forehead, nose, lips and chin form a continuous line of great delicacy. This arrangement gives the face a calm, contemplative presence, as if the woman were observing something outside the composition or absorbed in her own thoughts.

The face is illuminated with soft ivory, cream, greenish and pinkish tones. The clarity of the skin contrasts with the darkness of the hair and background, making features stand out clearly. The shadow areas are concentrated around the eye, nose and jaw, providing volume without disturbing the overall serenity of the expression. The light seems to caress the profile and confer a delicate, almost ethereal appearance.

The visible eye is depicted discreetly and slightly low, reinforcing the sense of introspection. It is not a challenging or spectator-directed gaze, but a restrained and distant expression. This attitude allows us to imagine a tranquil, elegant, self-assured woman, caught in a moment of silence. Her identity remains open to interpretation and favors a poetic reading of the portrait.

The lips, defined by a small reddish accent, introduce a warm note amid the pale tones of the face. Their closed shape conveys serenity and restraint. The delicacy of this detail avoids any excessive gesture and maintains the intimate character of the image. Along with the line of the nose and the curve of the chin, the lips contribute to building a harmonious and distinguished feminine profile.

The hair is another striking area of the work. It is gathered at the back of the head into a large, dark volume, composed of browns, blacks, purples and reddish highlights. Its mass contrasts intensely with the clarity of the face and allows the profile to be perfectly outlined. The hairstyle suggests careful presentation and reinforces the timeless elegance of the subject.

At the top of the hair appears a floral ornament formed by reds, pinks, blacks, whites and violets. The flowers seem to intertwine with the updo, creating a small ornamental crown. Some petals are clearly recognizable, while others blur with the shadows of the hair and background. This decoration adds romanticism and visually links the woman’s head with the flowers arranged at the lower part.

Floral abundance concentrates especially on the left side, next to the shoulder and chest of the subject. There emerges an exuberant cluster of small flowers in violet, blue, white, pink, yellow and reddish hues, mixed with green leaves and dark stems. This bouquet introduces intense chromatic wealth and makes the lower left area one of the main visual focal points of the composition.

The flowers do not appear as a completely independent bouquet, but as an extension of the clothing or ornament surrounding the woman. They could be part of an embellished dress, a shawl, or a floral arrangement placed before her body. This ambiguity adds interest to the portrait, as it allows the vegetation to merge with the fabrics and create a dreamlike image.

On the right side, several flowers in pinks, violets, whites and greens can also be distinguished. Their presence balances the left floral accumulation and extends the ornamentation across the lower area. Although smaller and more dispersed, these flowers help frame the subject’s bust and maintain the color continuity of the set.

The clothing stands out for the elegance of its light tones and the richness of its details. The upper part appears dominated by whites, creams, soft grays and greenish highlights, colors closely related to the skin and to the illuminated areas of the background. On the chest lies a wide triangular element of delicate appearance that guides the gaze toward the neck.

The lace collar is one of the most refined details in the work. Its structure is formed by small perforated shapes, scalloped edges, and repeated motifs that create a light and ornamental surface. It rises around the neck and then descends toward the center of the chest, adding volume and distinction. Its pale whitish-gray color contrasts with the deeper tones of the lower garment.

The arrangement of the lace reinforces the verticality of the neck and accentuates the elegance of the posture. The protagonist keeps her head upright and shoulders slightly tilted, adopting a noble yet natural stance. The ornamental collar serves as a transition between the face’s luminosity and the darker areas of the clothing, clearly organizing the central part of the composition.

Lower down appear broad surfaces of gray, black, dark green and white. These shapes suggest voluminous sleeves, possibly accompanied by overlapped fabrics or decorative elements. The curved contours of the sleeves follow the oval form of the support and help visually close the portrait, preventing the body from appearing abruptly interrupted.

The right-hand sleeve forms a large dark curve approaching the oval’s lower edge. On it, delicate white and bluish reflections suggest folds and changes of light. On the left, another dark zone serves as a base for the flowers and creates a contrast against the collar and face clarity.

The background is built with a dark atmosphere of browns, grays, blacks, desaturated greens and violets. It does not define a room or recognizable place, allowing all attention to fall on the figure. The absence of architectural or landscape elements gives the portrait an timeless character, as if the woman appeared suspended in a space devoted exclusively to her presence.

In some areas of the background, lighter zones surround the face and shoulders. These greenish, creamy and yellowish areas act as a soft glow and separate the silhouette from the darkness. The lighting does not seem to come from a specific point, but distributes envelopingly to highlight the features, the lace, and the flowers.

The contrast between light and dark is one of the main visual resources of the composition. The illuminated face and neck emerge strongly, while the hair, sleeves and certain background areas remain in shadow. This opposition provides depth and gives the woman a mysterious, delicate and slightly theatrical presence.

The chromatic palette gathers sober tones with small bursts of color. The browns, grays, blacks and desaturated greens provide an elegant base, while the reds, violets, pinks, blues and yellows of the flowers enliven the whole. These color accents are not jarring but are distributed in a balanced way around the figure.

The composition maintains an attractive asymmetry. The face faces left, where the largest floral cluster also concentrates, while the right side is dominated by the hair, the dark background, and a voluminous sleeve. The wide space in front of the profile allows the woman’s gaze to breathe and enhances the sense of contemplation.

Despite the ornamental richness, the face remains the true emotional center of the portrait. The flowers, the hairstyle, the lace and the fabrics act as a frame that enhances the serenity of the features. Nothing distractions entirely from the protagonist’s expression, whose silent presence organizes and gives meaning to all the surrounding elements.

The combination of the oval format and the feminine profile resembles ancient medals and intimate portraits conceived to preserve a person’s memory. Yet the painter’s palette aspect introduces a more personal and creative character. It seems as if the object traditionally used to prepare colors has been transformed into an autonomous work, retaining in its form a nod to the artistic creation process.

This singular format makes the piece more than a conventional portrait. The curve of the support adapts to the head, shoulders and sleeves, creating a very close unity between image and object. The woman seems to inhabit completely the interior of the oval, while the flowers and fabrics accompany her outline up to approach the edges.

The protagonist can be interpreted as a figure linked to beauty, elegance and contemplation. The flowers evoke sensitivity and fugacity; the lace recalls refinement; and the distant gaze introduces mystery. The union of these elements builds an idealized feminine image, placed between the personal portrait and the poetic evocation.

There is also an interesting dialogue between the delicacy of the subject and the intensity of the background. The face transmits calm, while the dark tones and diffuse shapes surrounding it add emotional depth. Flowers bring life and color, but some blend with the shadows, suggesting the union between beauty, memory and the passage of time.

Overall, this precious painting presents the elegant profile portrait of a woman on an original oval support that clearly recalls a painter’s palette. Her serene and luminous face, the elaborated hair adorned with flowers, the delicate lace collar, and the abundant floral ornamentation construct a deeply refined and mysterious image. The harmony between the dark tones of the background, the clarity of the skin, and the red, violet, blue and yellow accents makes the work an intimate evocation of femininity, beauty and artistic creation.